[Users] I wonder Geoext license

[Tim Schaub]

Christopher Schmidt wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 12:57:45PM -0400, Chris Holmes wrote:
>> We just started up a section of the wiki to be a licensing FAQ - I hope 
>> to find some time in the next few days to help fill it out.  If people 
>> want to add questions that would help, even if you don't know the 
>> answers.  See http://www.geoext.org/trac/geoext/wiki/license
>>
>> For this question, if you're fine with a MapFish solution then you're 
>> fine with a GeoExt solution.  MapFish is GPL 3.  You can easily just 
>> think of Ext+GeoExt as GPL 3.
>>
>> Ext+GeoExt also has the additional option that you can purchase a 
>> developer license and then you will not be bound by the terms of GPL 3. 
>>     Ext is liberally licensed so it's also compatible with Ext.js's 
>> developer license.  But if you're doing the deployment on a customers 
>> site then GPL 3 should be fine for you - it only kicks in if you're 
>> making some full package that they have to download.
> 
> The GPL restrictions -- specifically, the requirement to provide source code (or
> in very limited circumstances, a written promise of source code) -- applies to
> propogation or conveyance of the code. According to the FSF, since the
> Javascript code is delivered from the server of the customer to the web browser
> user, it is conveyed, and therefore subject to the terms of the GPLv3. This
> means that if you *deploy* a GeoExt based application under the terms of the
> GPLv3, it is the responsibility of that deployment to make available the source
> code under the terms of the GPLv3.

Right, I think I covered this in the first answer on the FAQ (though 
perhaps not as clearly written).  I agree that Chris' comment above 
about GPL only kicking in if you provide a separate download of the 
source is not accurate.

Let me know if you disagree with anything on the wiki page:
http://www.geoext.org/trac/geoext/wiki/license

Also, the pages linked on Ext exceptions for toolkits and applications 
(two separate exceptions) are worth reading.

Thanks,
Tim

> 
> (This is akin to making a compiled binary available over HTTP -- if you allow
> people to download it, you must also provide them the source to it, if it is
> released under the GPLv3. Javascript is just more 'object code'.)
> 
> Regards,


-- 
Tim Schaub
OpenGeo - http://opengeo.org
Expert service straight from the developers.